How can you tell if a Barn Owl is male or female?

It is almost impossible to tell if a Barn Owl is male or female just seeing it fly overhead. However, a close look may give you a clue. Females often have darker brown feathers around the rim of the facial disc as well as darker bars on the tail and small black spots on the chest and underside of the wings. Males are generally lighter and a more pure white underneath.

Females are slightly heavier than males at around 360g (males usually weigh around 330g) although during the early breeding season females may weigh as much as 425g before egg laying.

Barn Owls are birds of prey, hunting and catching small mammals, mostly Field Voles here in the UK. They have some extraordinary specially adapted characteristics to help them hunt for food at night, such as incredibly sensitive hearing and the ability to see movement with very little light.

There are loads more interesting facts and information about Barn Owls to discover!